Color regulating device for illumination and apparatus using the same, and method of regulating color

Abstract

There is provided a color-regulating device for illumination. The color-regulating device includes a light-valving structure for adjusting a flux ratio of outgoing light through the light-valving structure to incident light entering the light-valving structure, and a color-adjusting structure having a wavelength-band converting element for changing incident light with a wavelength band into outgoing light with a different wavelength band through the element. Wherein, the light-valving structure and the color-adjusting structure do not overlap on the traveling path of the light emitted from the light source. Mixing the outgoing light of the light source passing through the light-valving structure with the outgoing light of the light source passing through and at least a portion thereof converted by the color-adjusting structure with a different wavelength band yields a color-adjusted light of different color temperature from that of the light source.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A color regulating device for illumination, configured to regulate a color temperature of light interacting with the device, comprising:
 a light-valving structure for adjusting a flux ratio of a first incident light of a first light source to a first outgoing light of the light interacted with the light-valving structure; 
 a color-adjusting structure having at least one wavelength-band converting element, configured to convert a second incident light with a first wavelength band into a second outgoing light with a second wavelength band; and 
 wherein the light-valving structure and the color-adjusting structure do not overlap with each other on a traveling path of the light, such that the first outgoing light and the second outgoing light are mixed to form a hybrid light with a color temperature different from that of the light, and another light emitted from a second light source is mixed with the hybrid light. 
 
     
     
       2. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second wavelength band covers the first wavelength band. 
     
     
       3. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hybrid light is further mixed with a portion of the light not interacted with the device. 
     
     
       4. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light-valving structure and the color-adjusting structure are located on a plane perpendicular to the traveling path of the light. 
     
     
       5. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light-valving structure and the color-adjusting structure are located on a plane perpendicular to the traveling path of the light, and are adjacent to each other. 
     
     
       6. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the light-valving structure is a plane light-valving structure which is a member selected from the group consisting of a micro electro mechanical assembly, a color changing glass, an electronic paper, an electrowetting element, a liquid crystal layer structure and combination thereof; or a three-dimensional light-valving structure comprising a plurality of the members. 
     
     
       7. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the liquid crystal layer structure comprises:
 a first light-permeable substrate having a first side and a second side; 
 a second light-permeable substrate having a first side and a second side; 
 a liquid crystal (LC) layer sandwiched between the second side of the first light-permeable substrate and the first side of the second light-permeable substrate, and having at least one liquid crystal (LC) cell capable of controlling grayscale; and 
 a biasing unit applying voltage to the at least one liquid crystal cell capable of controlling grayscale. 
 
     
     
       8. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein at least one of part of the first side of the first light-permeable substrate and part of the second side of the second light-permeable substrate has a polarizer. 
     
     
       9. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the wavelength-band converting element is a wavelength-band converting material, or a wavelength-band converting structure unit. 
     
     
       10. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the wavelength-band converting material is a first wavelength-band converting material, or a first wavelength-band converting material and a second wavelength-band converting material. 
     
     
       11. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the first wavelength-band converting material or the second wavelength-band converting material is selected from the group consisting of a phosphor, a dye and combination thereof. 
     
     
       12. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the phosphor is selected from the group of an oxide phosphor, an oxynitride phosphor, a nitride phosphor, a zinciferous compound phosphor, a semiconductor phosphor, an organic phosphor, a photoluminescence dye and combination thereof. 
     
     
       13. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the dye is an absorption type dye, a photoluminescence type dye and combination thereof. 
     
     
       14. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the wavelength-band converting structure unit is a member made of cholesteric liquid crystals, blue phase liquid crystals, holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (H-PDLC), an electrowetting element, or a micro electro-mechanical assembly. 
     
     
       15. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hybrid light has a color temperature in a black body locus in a CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram. 
     
     
       16. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hybrid light is further mixed with at least one of other light. 
     
     
       17. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a control element selected from the group consisting of a control circuit, a latch-type knob, a circular knob, and the combination thereof. 
     
     
       18. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an optical diffusing member selected from the group consisting of a diffusion film, a diffusion plate, a diffusion lens and the combination thereof. 
     
     
       19. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first light source is selected from a group consisting of a light emitting diode (LED), an incandescent lamp, a halogen lamp, sunlight, a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), fluorescent lamp and combination thereof. 
     
     
       20. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the LED light source is a white light LED or a blue light LED. 
     
     
       21. A color regulating method, comprising the steps of:
 providing a first light source for emitting a first light; 
 providing a light-valving structure and adjusting a flux ratio of a first incident light to a first outgoing light of the first light interacted with the light-valving structure; 
 providing a color-adjusting structure having at least one wavelength-band converting element and converting a second incident light with a first wavelength band into a second outgoing light with a second wavelength band; 
 providing a second light emitted from a second light source; 
 mixing the first outgoing light and the second outgoing light to form a hybrid light with a color temperature different from that of the first light; and 
 mixing the hybrid light with the second light emitted from the second light source. 
 
     
     
       22. The color regulating method as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the hybrid light is further mixed with a portion of the first light not interacted with the light-valving structure or color-adjusting structure. 
     
     
       23. The color regulating method as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the light-valving structure is a member selected from the group consisting of a micro electro mechanical assembly, a color changing glass, an electronic paper, an electrowetting element, a liquid crystal layer structure and combination thereof. 
     
     
       24. The color regulating method as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the first light is emitted from a first light source selected from a group consisting of a light emitting diode (LED), an incandescent lamp, a halogen lamp, sunlight, a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), fluorescent lamp and combination thereof. 
     
     
       25. The color regulating method as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the LED light source is a white light LED or a blue light LED. 
     
     
       26. The color regulating method as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the wavelength-band converting element is a wavelength-band converting material, or a wavelength-band converting structure unit. 
     
     
       27. The color regulating method as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the wavelength-band converting material is selected from the group consisting of a phosphor, a dye and combination thereof.